Explanation:
Blossoming in nearby galaxy the
Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), this
gorgeous nebula is energized by radiation and winds from
a massive star whose surface temperature approaches 100,000 degrees.
The
composite colour image
from the European Southern Observatory's
Melipal telescope
resolves details in the energetic nebula, with emission
from helium atoms in blue hues, oxygen atoms in green, and
hydrogen atoms in red.
While
emission nebulae
generally show the familiar red light from
ionized hydrogen atoms - hydrogen atoms with
their
electrons stripped away - ionized helium atoms are tracers
of even higher energy interactions.
The intriguing filaments of helium emission make this and other
recently studied emission nebulae most
exceptional.
A Wolf-Rayet star,
the massive star powering this nebula,
created a cosmic bubble
with stellar winds in the early stages
of its life.
Part of the bubble is still apparent as the large arc
in the lower portion of the image.
The area pictured is about 150 light-years across.